This invention relates in general to an apparatus for transferring uniform samples of an organic liquid, such as blood, onto a support. The present invention has a particular utility in the laboratory in preparing blood samples for subsequent electrophoresis.
In the electrophoresis of blood samples for subsequent processing in a densitometer, it is desirable to be able to rapidly and inexpensively deposit a uniform series of blood samples onto an absorbent support which may be of cellulose acetate.
It is important, in depositing the samples of blood, that they be uniform and substantially independent of the technique of the person preparing the sample. In the prior art, such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,868,020, Williams, issued January 13, 1959, an apparatus is disclosed for applying liquid samples. This apparatus, however, must be manually filled with the sample, such as from an eyedropper or pipette, and thereafter, may be utilized to deposit a single sample onto a sample support such as filter paper.
Thus, the Williams patent, by requiring the hand filling of the sample onto the carrier, does not provide for rapid processing of the blood sample. Furthermore, since electrophoresis requires a series of deposits of the sample, the Williams patent does not assure that each of the deposits of the sample will be uniform. To the contrary, the series of deposits are highly dependent upon the technique of the person preparing and processing the samples.
Finally, the apparatus and method disclosed in the Williams patent does not permit the simultaneous preparation of a series of uniform deposits of the sample to be analyzed.